Wind and Sacred Arrows
by GardevoirLove4ever
Summary: While searching for Naraku, Kikyo mistakedly saves a demon girl's life, gaining new traveling companion, whether she likes it or not. But when they're the only ones who can save Kagome from danger, a strong bond is formed.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

In the dead of night a ghost-like women walked through the woods followed by many soul-collectors. It was Kikyo; and priestess brought back from the dead by a witch's black magic. Her goal was to find Naraku and get revenge on what the demon had done to her.

Suddenly, she stopped when she sensed a demonic aura very close by. She drew out an arrow and placed it on her bow, pulling back the string and waiting to bring it up as soon as she saw the demon. Out of nowhere a young girl came bursting through the undergrowth followed by a huge ogre.

That's when Kikyo brought her bow up and fired her infamous sacred arrow at the ogre; it hit it right in the heart, causing it to disintegrate almost immediately. Once the girl realized the ogre had been defeated, she came to a halt and collapsed from exhaustion.

The girl looked pretty young; she had pale light blonde hair with a thin brown streak down the left side and forest green eyes, and she wore a sort of brown animal-fur dress that stopped a few inches below her knees which looked about a size too big, a brown sash-belt, and her feet were bare. Kikyo noticed that the girl was bleeding heavily from her right hand, and when she got closer, she realized this girl had rounded cat ears and a tail covered with black spots; a cheetah demon.

"Thank you." The young demon murmured gratefully. She got to her feet and bowed. Kikyo was surprised; it was rare for a demon to be grateful to a human, let alone a priestess.

"You've no reason to be thankful. I was only defending myself." The priestess lied.

"You saved my life. I've every reason to be thankful. My name is Nekokaze." She introduced herself. Kikyo stared at Nekokaze for a moment before she turn around and walk off through the woodlands again, ignoring the young demoness. However, Nekokaze quickly followed after her.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Kikyo knew Nekokaze wasn't going to leave until the demon girl repaid her debt, and as long as she didn't slow Kikyo down, it didn't really matter.

"Where did you get that jewel shard?" Kikyo asked as she walked, not even turning to look back. She'd noticed it early; it was on a thin-stringed necklace she was wearing. What surprised Kikyo was how pure the shard was;

completely untainted from darkness.

"I… my mom gave it to me before she passed." Nekokaze said quietly from behind her. Kikyo dropped the conversation there, and then stopped. She needed new souls to recover energy.

"So, what's your name?" Nekokaze wondered.

"Kikyo." The priestess stated simply as she waited for the soul collectors she had sent off to return.

"That's a nice name." She mewed. Nekokaze was pretty curious about Kikyo. It was obvious she wasn't a normal priestess. She smelled of death and graveyard soil, and the soul skimmers weren't exactly a usual thing to see. She

didn't bother asking though. It wasn't that she didn't care she just knew she wouldn't get a direct answer. Then Nekokaze noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A garcinia; an herb used to subside hunger. She carefully pulled

the fruit off of its stem, and ate it quickly. Even though demons didn't have to eat as much, it would help not to need to eat even longer. Her ears twitched hesitantly as she heard Kikyo getting to her feet.

_That was a short rest… _the cheetah demon thought, before she followed a few feet behind the miko. The air was cool, yet humid and gray clouds hovered overhead so rain would surely be coming within the next couple of hours or

so. Kikyo could see why Nekokaze's fur kimono was a size too big now; this area was well known for its wet, chilly weather. Being a soul in a body of clay, of course Kikyo didn't get cold but rain would surely slow her down. She -_they_- would

have to find a place to wait it out once it came.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"There's a cave up ahead." Nekokaze pointed out from a perch in a tree. A soul collector came skimming through the air from the direction Nekokaze was referring to and let out a series of graceful bird-like chirps; confirming the cheetah demon's statement. A light drizzle fell from the sky as the rain came in, so finding the cave was good luck for the two.

"I'll only be here until the rain clears." Kikyo stated as she entered the small unoccupied cavern.

"Should I get firewood before the ground's too damp?" Nekokaze asked, following in behind her hesitantly.

"Do what you like." She answered. Nekokaze turned around and exited the cave before climbing into the trees breaking off the driest small branches she could find.

* * *

><p><em>(Elsewhere…)<em>

On the outskirts of a small village in the northwest, Inuyasha and his traveling companions, Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara, were traveling to the west in hopes of finding Naraku.

"We should be on high alert. The villagers say there are a lot of fierce demons in the woods ahead." Miroku stated.

"Feh, I can handle a couple of demons." Inuyasha remarked.

"It doesn't hurt to be careful." Kagome reminded him.

"Whatever." He muttered in his usual stubborn attitude. Kagome rolled her eyes at him; why did she even try? After a while they reached the entrance to the woods that led west; the trees were all dark in color and there seemed to be deep thorny undergrowth everywhere.

"This place sure looks scary. Are you sure this is the only way?" Shippo asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Why? Are you scared?" Inuyasha wondered with a taunting tone.

"No!" the fox demon snapped defensively.

"Let's just get going." Sango cut in quickly before another one of their little fight ended the same way; usually with Shippo crying. The group made their way through after that, but before they could really get anywhere everything went pitch-black, except for a dim light shining down on the six of them.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha growled in surprise.

"…Welcome, Inuyasha…" A creepy voice emanated from somewhere unknown.

"Shippo was right. We should have gone another way." Miroku mumbled under his breath.

"I'll get this over with quickly..." The voice chuckled.

"You won't do anything!" Inuyasha snapped, unsheathing his Tessaiga. "Wind Scar!" He called out, swinging the attack blindly in a random direction. Nothing happened, except suddenly Kagome let out a panicked scream before she disappeared along with the darkness. They were back in the forest, but where was Kagome?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Nekokaze made her way through the trees; in one hand she carried several sticks while she used the other to grip the branches of the tree she was in. The rain was getting heavier with each passing minute, so she turned around and headed back to the cave she and Kikyo were resting in until the weather was better.

But something caught her attention almost immediately; a human girl lying up against the side a tree, unconscious. What actually surprised her was the fact that this girl bore a striking resemblance to Kikyo, except for her kimono; which stopped right below her thighs instead of at her ankles. Nekokaze climbed down the tree quickly to get a better look, just in case she was mistaken.

"Miss?" She said a bit loud, shaking the girl's shoulder lightly. The girl stirred before her eyes fluttered open gently. "Are you alright?" Nekokaze asked worried. The girl suddenly looked surprised, fearful even. She jumped up to her feet instantly.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"M-My name is Nekokaze." The demon girl replied, answering so quickly she stuttered at the beginning of her sentence. This girl definitely wasn't Kikyo; she didn't know who Nekokaze was, first of all, and her voice was less sleek and graceful. "Sorry if I surprised you." Nekokaze apologized. "…What's your name?"

"I'm Kagome." She answered. Kagome was pretty scared; she had no idea where she was or where the others were. This demon, Nekokaze, looked like she was only twelve or thirteen years-old, and Kagome could tell she was a kind person. Kagome was surprised that she had a jewel shard, but wasn't even using it.

"I'm waiting out the rain in a cave, you should come." Nekokaze offered. Kagome hadn't even noticed it was raining until Nekokaze had said that.

"Thank you." Kagome stated gratefully, following her through the woods. "Are you traveling alone?"

"Not really, I guess you could say I'm traveling with a priestess." She explained with a hint of shyness in her tone. That surprised Kagome even more; she didn't know of many priestesses who could stand demons.

_Well except… _Kagome's thoughts were cut off once they reached the small cave. It was basically just a huge jagged boulder stuck in the ground with a hole in the side. They entered the cavern, but then Kagome froze at who she saw sitting at the back of the cave; _Kikyo…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kagome was shocked. Kikyo, of all people, was the priestess traveling with the cheetah demon that had found her unconscious in the rain. There was a dead silence in the cave, except for the sound of rain hitting the earth. Both Kagome and Kikyo had surprised looks on their faces, and Nekokaze was just confused and oblivious.

"… Do you know each other?" Nekokaze asked for either of them to answer, breaking the awkward quietness.

"Yes." Kikyo stated after a moment of hesitation. "You're alone, I presume?" She asked her reincarnation.

"I-I got separated from Inuyasha and the others." Kagome answered. "We encountered a strange demon." She added. Nekokaze moved to the center of the cave and placed the small branches she had gathered in a pile on the ground. She then struck her silver-colored claws in a flicking motion until they surprisingly lit a spark, and in seconds the branch pile was a little fire.

"This should last until the rain gets close to passing." Nekokaze observed, sitting down against the cave wall. Kagome joined in a few inches beside her and stared deeply into the fire as if it would show her something.

_ I was right… Their resemblance is unmistakable. _Nekokaze thought.

_What should I do? Should I ask Kikyo for help? I can't find the others by myself, but what if she declines? _Kagome debated with herself.

"You'll need help finding your companions. I… we'll help you." Kikyo offered. Kagome was taken aback; Kikyo was offering to help her!

"Thank you." Kagome said gratefully, but the task still seemed impossible; Kagome had no idea how to get back to where her friends were before she had been separated from them, and the odds they were still there were slim to none. They were probably looking for her right now…

* * *

><p>"We've been searching like there's no damn tomorrow! We're never going to find Kagome!" Inuyasha cursed. He, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara had search for hours in the area Kagome had mysteriously vanished, and there was no sign of her.<p>

"That demon took her without a trace. The best thing to do is take to the air and hope we can find her or her scent!" Shippo muttered.

"Shippo's right, Inuyasha. It's all we can do." Miroku put in after he noticed the half-demon roll his eyes at Shippo.

"Ah, shut up. I know." He growled.

"Are you up for it Kirara?" Sango asked Kirara affectionately. The cat demon let out an energetic mew before she magically transformed into her larger form.

"Let's go!" Inuyasha snapped impatiently. Though he didn't show it, he was worried out of his mind for Kagome; she was alone, lost somewhere he didn't know the location of.

_Damn it… just let her be okay. _He thought, full of worry.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

As early dawn approached Kikyo noticed the rain was finally lightening. Kagome and Nekokaze had fallen asleep during the night, so she decided to wait a little before waking them.

_Was it a bad idea to help Kagome? _Kikyo thought, but after a few moments she shook her head to answer herself; remebering the time her reincarnation had saved her in the priestess sealer cave. Nekokaze's spotted cat ears twitched suddenly, then she strecthed herself awake.

"Is the rain over...?" She murmured tiredly. Kikyo nodded to her in reply, and then after a while Kagome was awake too.

"Are you ready?" Kikyo asked them both.

"Yes." Nekokaze replied.

"Yep." Kagome added after, a bit hesitant. Kikyo was first to leave of the cave and Nekokaze followed out last, but a blade of air nearly striking the ground a few mere centimeters from them made the three girls freeze still.

"I should've gotten here sooner. It looks like our hostage found some friends." a feminine voice said from the air. It was a voice that Kikyo and Kagome knew all too well; Kagura.

"So Naraku is involved with this." Kikyo muttered, reaching for an arrow.

"What else did you expect?" Kagura grinned slyly. "Dance of Blades!" She called out, waving her fan straight toward the undead priestess. Kikyo fired a sacred arrow, but it was sliced to pieces by Kagura's attack; luckily none of the blades reached them. Kikyo prepared to draw another bow, except Nekokaze stopped her.

"I'll fight you." the cheetah demon stated, her voice slightly shaken.

"You? You're no match against me child." Kagura laughed mockingly. But suddenly Nekokaze began to glow brightly, and the light whirled like a mini tornado until a new form immerged. It looked like a cheetah with long canines and a short pale blonde mane like a hyena's.

_Her true form..._Kagome thought. surpised at how strong she looked.

"That's more like it." Kagura smiled getting into a ready-to-attack stance. "Dance of Blades!" She called again. But Nekokaze moved so fast, she dodged each blade with excellent agility. Kagura waved the fan a third time, and even more of the wind blades flew toward Nekokaze. Instantly, the cheetah demon leaped up into the trees out of the way. Then Kagura seemed to be getting frustrated after missing yet again, so this time;

"Dance of the Dragon!" She cried, and a huge gust of wind blasted the tree Nekokaze was in; shattering it right in half, causing it to fall. But it fell right in Kagura's path and everyone could see it. Suddenly, Nekokaze twisted right-side-up in the air as she fell and actually pushed Kagura out of the way of the falling tree which slammed into the ground in seconds.

_ She saved Kagura! _Kikyo and Kagome both thought at the same time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It took a few moments for the dust to clear when the tree had hit the ground with an all mighty crash, and if Nekokaze had been just seconds too slow the tree would have killed both her and Kagura.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked Nekokaze urgently after rushing to her side; she had landed about three feet away from Kagura when the two of them crash-landed. Nekokaze nodded a bit weakly before sitting up and changing back into her human-like form.

"I'm going to feel this really bad later on though." She muttered, rubbing her arm right below her shoulder.

"I'd have been fine without your help!" Kagura snapped after getting up to her feet.

"You would've been crushed if not for her actions." Kikyo argued. And Kagura knew it too, but she would never admit it to anyone.

"Just forget it. This fight's over." Nekokaze cut in.

"Next time we meet you won't be so lucky." Kagura threatened them defensively, before taking off on another one of her giant feathers.

"Why did you save her?" Kagome wondered after the wind sorceress had left; she was still surprised Nekokaze had done it.

"I-I don't even really know myself." She mumured sheepishly.

"We should get moving now." Kikyo stated. With all the noise the fight had made, who knows what would show up to see what was going on. They was a village a couple minutes away...

* * *

><p>"Where the hell could she be?" Inuyasha said with full blown frustation. He had managed to pick up Kagome's scent in a wooded area about a mile away from where he and his friends had lost her, but it had rain recently so there was no chance he could track her down.<p>

"We should take a break in the village ahead." Miroku offered gesturing toward a small town just barely in view on the horizon.

"You're joking right?" the half demon remarked.

"You made us stay up through the whole night Inuyasha. We're not machines." Sango countered.

"And the villager might know something about the demon that took Kagome." Shippo added.

"Fine." He mumbled, but inside he still wanted to continue looking for her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

As Kikyo, Kagome, and Nekokaze got closer to the edge of the woods Kikyo sent her soul collectors to the other side of the village ahead; she didn't want to make the three of them stand out any more than they already would.

"Can we go around?" Nekokaze asked a bit nervously.

"It will take too much more time." Kikyo stated.

"Are you scared of humans?" Kagome wondered, trying not to smile at the thought.

"Just their religious powers..." the cheetah demon muttered.

"We'll make sure nothing goes wrong." Kagome reassured her. As they entered the village several of the villager that were out stopped what they were doing and looked at the girls with gaping

stares. Nekokaze walked as close to Kagome as she could, her tail swaying uneasily. The village was pretty small; there were only about fourteen or fifteen huts, two wells for water, and a farming field on the west side. The three of them didn't stop or even hesitate as they passed through; they had no reason to. Finally a man, maybe in his late thirties or early forties, stood in front of their path. He wore a blue kimono with yellow leaf patterns and a brown belt that held a sword tucked in its sheath.

"What business do you have here?" He demanded sternly; he was talking to all of them, but his eyes were locked on Nekokaze.

"We're only passing through. The only thing keep us here is you." Kikyo explained simply; which was true since they were only a few feet from the opposite side of the village. The man glared at Nekokaze for a moment before moving aside.

"Get out before I change my mind." He barked. Kikyo, Kagome and Nekokaze left immediately after that, not wanting to cause trouble. Once they'd gotten a fairly good distance away from the small village the soul collectors rejoined them; carrying a soul or two for Kikyo to regain a little more energy.

* * *

><p>Before Inuyasha and the others reached the village ahead of them, they came across an unusual site; half of a rather large tree lying on the ground by it's other half which was still in the ground.<p>

"What could have done this kind of damage?" Shippo thought out loud, a little scared as he tried to picture something strong enough to do that. Then Kirara -still in her large form- noticed something under the fallen tree and let out a _mrrew _sound to get the others' attention. Sango looked down at Kirara then to where the cat demon was looking.

"What's that?" She asked for anyone to answer. Then after Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kirara pushed the log over they were even more surprised. It was a giant feather; one they were very familiar with.

"Kagura was here." Shippo stated the obvious.

"Just as I thought; Naraku _is_ involved with this." Miroku muttered; why else would signs of Kagura be so close to somewhere Inuyasha had picked up Kagome's scent?

"That bastard!" Inuyasha cursed under his breath, clenching his fists.

"He's probably using her to keep us from finding more jewel shards." Sango noted after heaving a sigh.

"Can we forget about resting _now_?" Inuyasha asked in his regular bad attitude.

"We'll need to rest even more if it's Naraku we're going up against." Miruko answered him. Inuyasha mumbled something inaudibly before they continued to head toward the village.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The sun was at it's highest point in the day as Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango made there way through the village, a man stopped them, telling them to explain why they were there.

"We're only in search of a lost companion, sir. Would any lodging be avalible for a short while?" Miroku said politely.

"You're demon slayers?" the man asked.

"In a way..." Sango explained.

"You're the second odd traveling party to pass through." An elderly women stated.

"May we ask who this other party was?" Miroku wondered.

"Two women and a demon girl. They came by this morning." the man, they learned the name of was Hitomo, answered.

"Did one of these women happen to be dressed in a short white and green kimono?" Sango asked.

"Yes." Hitomo replied.

"Kagome's been here?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Obviously." Shippo mumbled sarcastically.

"There's a small vacant hut on the west side of the village closest to the farming field." Hitomo offered.

"Thank you." Sango said gratefully.

"Just don't stay long." He muttered, returning to his hut.

"I can't believe we're still resting. Kagome was here! She'll be long gone by the time you're all ready." Inuyasha protested.

"Aren't you happy she's alive?" Sango asked.

"Course I'm happy! But I'd be happier if we actually found her!" He snapped.

"Let's just rest while we can. I'm sure Kagome's fine." Miroku assured the half-demon.

* * *

><p>Nekokaze, Kikyo, and Kagome made they're way across the open moor that stretched for about half a mile; on the opposite side was another woodland similar to the one they had traveled through earlier.<p>

"Is you're arm still doing alright?" Kagome asked Nekokaze as the cheetah demon rubbed her left arm gingerly. When she had hit the ground from saving Kagura from the falling tree she had landed pretty hard on her left side.

"I'm doing fine. It's just a bit of a joint ache." Nekokaze said a little quietly. Kagome knew demons had great resistance to pain, but she couldn't help but worry for the young demon girl.

"They're strong demonic aura in this forest. We should be careful." Kikyo stated, leading the way.

_Is Kikyo even worried about Nekokaze...? _Kagome thought as they made they're way through the forest. Kikyo barely looked at Nekokaze throughout the whole time they had been traveling.

A lot of the time there would be awkward silences throughout their short journey, filled with nothing but thoughts the three kept to themselves. Kagome hoped they would find Inuyasha and the other soon; it was getting pretty uncomfortable being with Kikyo for this long.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Even though it was the middle of the day the forest Kagome, Kikyo, and Nekokaze were traveling through made it look like evening, and the demonic aura in the air didn't help either.

"Could this place get any creepier?" Kagome wondered to no one in particular.

"Depends on you're definintion of creepy." A familar voice said; Kagura was back!

"Naraku sent you back to make up for your mistake, right?" Kikyo asked with the wind sorceress.

"I told you next time you wouldn't be so lucky." She ignore Kikyo, looking at Nekokaze and drawing out her fan.

"I... I have no reason to fight you." Nekokaze told her.

"Oh I highly doubt that." Kagura remark with a mischievous grin. Kagome let out a scream suddenly; snake-like demon had coiled itself around her and Kikyo. Nekokaze looked at both of them; she had no idea what to do! Her arm still ached horribly from the last time she fought Kagura.

Kagome had a look of full on fear and although Kikyo tried not to show it, but there was definite worry in her eyes. The snake demon slowly squeezed them tighter and tighter. Nekokaze had to fight. She changed into her true demon form immediately and prepared herself for whatever she thought Kagura would do.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready now?" Inuyasha asked his friends impatiently.<p>

"You asked us that ten seconds ago, Inuyasha. Just let us finsih eating and we can go." Miroku answered as all of them, beside Inuyasha, enjoyed freshly prepared noodles.

"Well eat faster!" He snapped.

"You should stop pacing around the room and eat too; even you need a break once in a while." Sango stated.

"Feh." He muttered sitting down in the back corner of the hut, sulking while he glared at the floor.

"Will he ever relax?" Shippo muttered.

"Not until Kagome's back with us, safe." Miroku replied quietly.

* * *

><p>Nekokaze and Kagura stared eachother down waiting for the other to make the first move. Kagome was starting to feel light-headed from the snake demon's tight coil, and Kikyo could tell.<p>

_If this isn't done right, it won't end good for us... _She thought. Suddenly Nekokaze turned around and leaped at the snake demon letting out a roar, but her eyes showed she was scared for them and herself.

"Foolish girl, you've left yourself wide open!" Kagura laughed unleashing her Dance of Blades with the wave of her fan. Nekokaze leaped up into the air suddenly with a triumphant grin. Kagura's attack flew right under her and slice the snake-demon into pieces.

However, a single blade managed to hit Kagome, leaving a deep cut across her right arm, exactly above her elbow. It hurt so badly that she fell to her knees.

Now freed from the snake demon's grasp, Kikyo drew an arrow and fired it right at Kagura, but it missed only by mere centimeters.

"Damn it!" Kagura cursed seeing she had failed again. She flew off on her giant feather through the sky and disappeared within the clouds in seconds. Nekokaze changed back into her human-like form as soon as she saw that Kagura had left and ran up to Kagome.

"Are you alright?" She questioned worriedly.

"N...no." Kagome answered weakily clutching the the cut on her arm tightly; blood seeping through her fingers. Suddenly she fell to the ground with her eyes closed.

"She's losing too much blood. We need something to stop it." Kikyo stated quickly. Nekokaze nodded before she tore of part of her sleeve revealing the large scar she had gotten from that night Kikyo had saved her.

"Is this good?" the cheetah demon asked. Kikyo nodded.

"There's a stream uphead. Help me carry her there so I can wash her wound." the priestess instructed.

_Hang in there Kagome! _Nekokaze thought, preparing to help Kikyo.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Using her expert knowledge of herbs and medicines, Kikyo was able to patch up Kagome's wound rather quickly.

"Is she going to be okay?" Nekokaze asked.

"She just needs to rest." Kikyo answered simply.

"I shouldn't have made such a risky move. I put you both in danger." the cheetah demon mumbled.

"You did the best you could. Things could have gone much worse." Kikyo assured. Kagome stirred suddenly, and her eyes fluttered open.

"What happened?" She said quickly, trying to sit up only to cringe with pain when she used her arm.

"You shouldn't use that arm for now." Kikyo explained.

"It hurts..." Kagome muttered, clutching her other hand over the fabric covering her wound.

"I... I'm so glad you're okay." Nekokaze murmur thankfully.

"Can you go get some more of those goldenrod plants?" Kikyo asked the young demon girl. Nekokaze nodded before getting up and heading over to the entrance of the forest.

* * *

><p>"Come on! You're so slow!" Inuyasha rushed irritatedly. He and his friends were finally ready to start off traveling again.<p>

"We're coming." Shippo snapped.

"Forget it. I'm goin' on ahead." The half-demon growled running out of the small village at full speed.

"So impatient..." Miroku sighed. Inuyasha was in no mood to wait any longer; he was going to find Kagome and he was going to do it now.

_Her scent's close by... but what are these other ones... _He thought, smelling two other scents with Kagome's. Running across an open moorland, he refused to stop even when he heard the others calling his name loudly. Then he'd reached it; a forest similar to the one they had found Kagura's feather; trees with thick trunks were towering high above, thorn bushes and a hand full of different wild-flowers lined the forest floor.

Then, all of a sudden, the smell of a demon and blood hit Inuyasha's nose; lots of blood. That's when he saw it; a girl with spotted cat ears and a tail. Not a single drop of blood on her, but she definitely wreaked of it.

"Hey, you!" He barked, unsheathing his Tetseiga. The girl looked over at him and froze with fear. Inuyasha charged toward her, but he wasn't prepared to attack unless he need to. Nekokaze froze still, trembling like a scared little mouse when she saw the half dog demon running at her with such a large weapon.

"Why do you smell of human blood?!" He demanded. She was too scared to even answer him. When she tried to speak, all that came out was a jumbled mess of words.

"Inuyasha, stop!" a unfamiliar voice shouted; a monk, a young fox demon, a demon slayer, and a cat-demon had come from the direction of the small village. Suddenly, Nekokaze remembered something Kagome had said when they'd first met;

_"I-I got separated from Inuyasha and the others." _

The monk had just called that half-demon Inuyasha!

"You can't just go attacking a random d-" the demon slayer started.

"Are you guys looking for Kagome?" Nekokaze interrupted quickly. Inuyasha turned his attention back to the cheetah demon almost immediately after she had said Kagome's name.

"How do you know her?" He growled.

"We've been trying to find you. I found her the forest on the other side of that village back there." She explained. "I'll take you to her!" She added, rushing back the way she had come. Inuyasha and the other's followed after her quickly. This was it; they had found Kagome!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Nekokaze had learned the names of the rest of Kagome's friends as she led them through the forest; Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" She heard Inuyasha whisper to Miroku. The monk nodded. She knew it would be hard for them to trust her under the circumstances, but all she cared about at the moment was getting the four of them to Kagome.

"You never answered me before. Why do you smell of human blood?" Inuyasha asked. Nekokaze stopped are turned to look at him with a hint of worry in her eyes. "Well?" The half demon snapped impatiently.

"I...I had to fight a demon called Kagura, I think you know of her. One of her wind blades hit Kagome's arm." She explained.

"That explains what we found in the other forest." Sango murmured.

"Is she alright?" Inuyasha demanded.

"H-her arm was cut pretty deep, but she should recover." Nekokaze said quickly, a bit scared by Inuyasha's temper. They were approaching the stream as Inuyasha picked up two _very _familiar scents.

"Is it just you and Kagome?" Shippo asked.

"No, we're-" Nekokaze started, but she stopped when Inuyasha rushed off ahead of them.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Miroku called with little to no effected.

"Is he always so... hasty?" Nekokaze wondered. Shippo, Miroku and Sango nodded in unison.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called out after rushing ahead of the others. He came to an abrupt hault when he saw Kagome resting up against a tree by the stream.

"Inuyasha..." She greeted a bit weakly, happy to see the half demon. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and Nekokaze finally caught up to Inuyasha, and they were happy to see that Kagome was alright.

"Kagome! Thank goodness!" Shippo said with relief, coming up to her.

"How did you find me?" She asked.

"Inuyasha was able to follow your scent until we met Nekokaze. She led us here." Sango explained. Kagome looked over to the ccheetah demon with a kind, warm grin.

"Thank you." She stated gratefully. Nekokaze blushing slightly at the thanks; she rarely ever heard it. That's when Inuyasha remember the second scent, but then he didn't need to think about it long because Kikyo stepped out from behind the tree Kagome was lying up against.

"K-Kikyo." He stuttered in surprise. There was a long, awkward silence.

"I'll return to my own travels now." Kikyo stated, before turning around and starting to walk away.

"Wait!" Kagome said quickly turning her head to look at Kikyo. Kikyo stopped, but she didn't look back. "Thank you for helping me." Kagome stated.

"You've no need to thank me." Kikyo murmured begining to walk away again. Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were still shocked at what had just happened. Nekokaze looked at the four of them, then to Kagome, then to Kikyo as she walked away.

"I have to go. I hope we meet again soon." Nekokaze good-byed before following after Kikyo quickly.

"What just happened?" Sango asked for anyone to answer.

"I should tell you huh?" Kagome replied.

"That would be helpful." Miroku stated. Inuyasha was still looking off at Kikyo, as if she was the only other person there.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The sun just barely peaked over the horizon as it set. Kagome was asleep while Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo sat around a small fire. The six of them were still at the stream where they had reunited; Kagome needed to get as much rest as she could after what happen. Earlier, Kagome had told her friends about what had happen after they had been separated and they still seemed surprised by it all; Inuyasha hadn't even said a word the whole time.

"Kikyo's probably still in the area as we speak." Miroku stated quietly, trying not to wake Kagome.

"What are you getting on about?" Inuyasha snapped in a whisper.

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just saying." He put in quickly.

"Sure." Inuyasha muttered.

"You could have at least acted like you normally do, Inuyasha. I've never seen you so quiet." Shippo whispered.

"You still have a lot to learn..." Sango added to Shippo's statement.

* * *

><p>"You didn't have to stay with me." Kikyo stated as she and Nekokaze traveled together through the woods; the soul collectors flying around them gracefully.<p>

"I still haven't repay you yet for saving my life." the cheetah demon explained. Kikyo looked back at her for the first time since they'd left Kagome with her friends; the young demon girl was holding her left arm again.

_She's so different from other demons. She follows me without even knowing or wanting to know of my past... _Kikyo thought before returning her gaze to whatever lie ahead. For now, Kikyo was headed in the direction she just faintly sensed Naraku's demonic aura.

"You were lying about your arm earlier, weren't you?" She asked.

"N... yes." Nekokaze admitted, looking down at the ground.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself, even if you are a demon, you're still young." Kikyo said as they continued walking together.

"Well, if I don't push myself i'll never get stronger." She replied.

"Why have you never used that jewel shard?" the formerly-dead priestess wondered, for no other reason but curiosity.

"It wouldn't be true power." Nekokaze stated. Kikyo was surprised by that, but she didn't show it. "And truth be told, I'm a bit too scared to use it." She added more quietly.

"You've heard about it's origin's?"

"Rumors."

"Ah."

They was another awkward silence between the two of them, and it stayed that way for the rest of the evening as darkness fell. Crickets began to chirp, a few fireflies would flicker on and then off again, and many of the nocturnal animals began to awaken and emerge from their dens and burrows, but there was someone -or something- watching them from the shadows.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It was a brand new morning as Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo started to get ready for traveling again.

"Do you need help getting up?" Sango asked her friend. Kagome attempted to get up using only her good arm, but failed, rather embarassingly falling back against the tree.

"Yeah, I guess I do." Kagome replied sheepishly with a sweatdrop.

"It surprises me that a demon would be so quick help a human they barely know." Miroku stated, half to himself, looking at the piece of cloth Kagome had for a bandage as Sango helped her up.

"She was different from other demons, though. I could tell." Kagome noted.

"Can we get a move on or are you just gonna sit here and have a chat?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"We almost ready! I don't see why you're in such a hurry." Kagome muttered.

"I wanna find that bastard Naraku so I can kick his ass for what he did to you!" the half-demon snapped. Kagome gave him a smile, seeing how Inuyasha tried to hide from the other how much he cared about her by sounding tough.

"You heard the guy, let's get going!" Shippo said in a playful manner. Kirara hopped up on to Sango's shoulder and let out an energetic mew, showing she was ready to go as well. Kagome looked at all her friends and smiled warmily; feeling lucky to have best friends who knew how to make her so happy.

* * *

><p>Nekokaze walked behind Kikyo as they continued their journey. They were out of the forest and had found a hilly grassland with only two or three trees in sight. Nekokaze felt a bit uneasy being in the open like that since she had lived most of her life under the cover of trees, but she knew she was safe.<p>

_I wonder how Kikyo traveled alone for so long... _Nekokaze wondered to herself. The sky was clear except for a few puffy clouds spread out all over.

"We'll rest as soon as we get to the other side." Kikyo told her. Nekokaze was surprised; Kikyo rarely wanted rest when they had been traveling with Kagome, why would she want to rest now? Then she realized why as the soul collectors spread out over the area flying in all different directions; Kikyo needed to recover after all the things that had happened the other day.

"Are you alright?" Nekokaze wondered, noticing that the dead priestess was walking at a slower pace.

"I'm fine." She answered shortly. Nekokaze knew better, but she didn't say anything else about it; she had faith in Kikyo. And that faith was soon to be tested...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Out of nowhere Kikyo sensed a strong demonic aura behind her and Nekokaze. She turned around quickly and drew out an arrow, ready for whatever was there. Nekokaze faced toward whatever Kikyo was aiming at, preparing herself as well. The cheetah demon was expecting to see Kagura again, and that was who it was, but she wasn't alone this time. She was accompanied by a young demon boy; he looked a bit younger than Nekokaze herself.

"You've not learned your lesson, I suppose?" Kikyo asked Kagura with a hint of mock in her tone.

"That kid's been lucky. Besides, in an open place like this, I'm in my element." Kagura remarked drawing her fan.

"This is who you've been losing to?" the young demon boy said to Kagura with a sly grin. Kagura ignored him.

"Just get ready to fight." She countered in a mutter. Nekokaze quickly transformed into her true form, staring down their two opponents with a battle-ready look in her eyes.

_This is going to be much harder than Nekokaze realizes... _Kikyo thought, remembering the strength Hakudoshi possessed as she held back the string of her bow.

* * *

><p><em>If we keep heading this way for a while, we're sure to run into Naraku eventually... <em>Kagome thought as she just barey sensed a very strong demonic aura and a many fragements of the Shikon Jewel.

"How's you're arm doing?" Shippo asked as he road on the shoulder of Kagome's good arm.

"A lot better." She answered with a warm smiled, gratefully that he had asked.

_I wonder what Nekokaze and Kikyo are doing... _Kagome thought. Then she was a bit uncomfortable; why was she thinking about Kikyo all of the sudden?

She had a feeling, maybe instict, that told her something was wrong...

* * *

><p>"Prepare yourselves!" Kagura challanged as she used her 'Dance of Blades'. Nekokaze tried to dodged, but there were so many and nothing to block them she was cut multiply times and she started to bleed staining the ground with crimson patches.<p>

Instantly, Kikyo fired a sacred arrow at Kagura, it completely missed her, but tore right through her fan; leaving a gaping hole in the center. Kagura looked at the damage quickly; she could still use it, but her attacks would hardly have the same strength.

Hakudoshi was just standing there, watching. Nekokaze looked back at him, but instead of charging to attack him, she contined to dodge Kagura's attacks. Though he didn't show it, Hakudoshi was a bit surprised that Nekokaze hadn't tried to attack them. Even though the open area make it easier for Kagura to attack them, Nekokaze also had an advantage with her speed. A lot of her blood continued to drip onto the grass, but she still managed to do her best.

_Why does she just keep dodging? She's not even trying to deal us any damage... _Kagura thought, and then it hit her.

"You're too soft to hurt your opponent, how pathetic!" She laughed. "Dance of the Dragon!" The mini-tornado hit Nekokaze out of nowhere, knocking her down to the ground hard on the side of her bad arm. The cheetah demon let out a roar of frustation and pain, and there was no doubt in Kikyo's mind that Nekokaze had just broken her arm, but right when Kagura was about to throw out another attack-

"Adamant Barrage!" a very familiar voice cried out, and array of adamants blasted toward Kagura and Hakudoshi. But before the attack could hit, the two of them disappeared from sight.

"Are you two okay?" Kagome's voice called over, and then she saw Nekokaze lying on the ground she let out a gasp. "What happened?" She asked Kikyo after rushing to Nekokaze's side.

"Kagura's attack." Kikyo stated simply. Nekokaze changed back into her human-like form right after Kikyo had finished her sentence.

"I-I'm fine." She stuttered weakly.

"You're not fine, Nekokaze." Kagome argued. The young demon girl was covered in deep cuts and scratches; all of which were bleeding pretty heavily. "Shippo, get my bag." Kagome told the fox demon. Shippo nodded before he got Kagome's yellow backpack.

"I've never seen a demon so young that injured." Shippo muttered to Miroku after he had given Kagome her bag. "She must have been fighting really hard..."

"Kagome was right. Something if very different about her." Miroku said quietly.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

After Kagome had patched up all of Nekokaze's wounds with the supplies in her first-aid kit she started to prepare something for her, the young cheetah demon, and her friends to eat.

"You didn't have to waste your supplies on me." Nekokaze murmured.

"It's not a waste. Even if you are demon, you're too young to be getting those kinds of injuries." Kagome argued.

"I can heal from these in no time." She countered, sitting up only to cringe slightly in pain.

"She's got plenty of stubbornness." Miroku said to Sango as the two of them, Shippo, and Inuyasha sat about three or four feet away. Kikyo stood a rather far distance away, knowing if she was close to their little group it would get uncomfortable.

"She's obviously defensive about herself." Sango stated.

"Nekokaze could have easily escaped, but she stayed to battle along side Kikyo." Miroku noted.

"Considering they haven't been traveling together for more than a few days it's odd how she would be so prepared to risk her life to save Kikyo." Sango put in. They all watched contently as Kagome prepared a soup dish.

"Inuyasha, do you think you could talk to her?" Kagome asked, referring to Nekokaze.

"What? Why me?" Inuyasha protested.

"You know what it's like to try so hard to protect others' lives." She explained. He sighed before walking over to Nekokaze, who was lying up against the only tree in the entire field. He just sat there on the opposite side of the tree she was on.

"My hearing's not that bad... I know Kagome told you to talk to me." the young demon girl muttered.

"You're a pretty stupid kid aren't you?" Inuyasha said in his usual bad attitude.

"It's stupid to want to protect the one who saved you're life?" She remarked a bit quietly.

"I never said that." He practically snapped.

"You're a half demon. You know what it's like to push yourself over your limit." Nekokaze sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned.

"N-not that you aren't strong. I _was_ at the receiving end of that sword of yours, wasn't I?" She said, slightly quick. "My mom gave me this jewel shard before she passed. She said to only use it in a dire emergency; I know of the strength these can give, but I made a promise." She explained.

"Now I know you're stupid." Inuyasha grumbled, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

"Would you defy a promise you made to someone you respect?" She countered. Inuyasha opened his eyes with a surprised look at what Nekokaze had said, but then had the faintest smile. He got to his feet, and then walked back over to Kagome and the others.

"Well?" Kagome asked him.

"She's fine." Inuyasha stated, smiling just the tiniest bit.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

As night fell over the land, Kikyo and Nekokaze were still in the clearing with Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara. Kikyo wanted to have been on the move hours ago, but the priestess stayed only because of Nekokaze needing to heal more before she could continue to travel.

Except for Kikyo and Nekokaze, everyone had fallen asleep after the sun had set and the stars began to appear in the dark evening sky. The moon was in the shape of a claw; about two cycles away from being new.

_If it had been any time before that battle... I know wouldn't be here right now..._ Kikyo thought surely as she looked at Nekokaze, wondering what Inuyasha had said to her. All though it wasn't obvious, Nekokaze and him had a few things in common, but she was still very different from the half-demon.

Kikyo watched curiously and silently as Nekokaze attempted to stand using only her good arm. Surprisingly, she just barely managed to get to her feet; using the tree to push herself up.

"You should be resting." Kikyo stated.

"I'll be alright." Nekokaze replied a bit weakly, trying to walk only to fall back down against the tree. Nekokaze tried to stand up again, unfortunately she couldn't manage to pull it off a second time, but she kept trying anyway. Kikyo wanted to tell her to stop, but she knew it wouldn't be much -if any- help on the matter.

She placed her hand gently on Nekokaze's head before pushing her down lightly so she was in less of a sitting postion, making it harder for her to try to get up; it caught Nekokaze by surprise and she was still fairly weak, so she couldn't really resist. Kikyo sat down beside the young cheetah demon, let out a deep sigh, and then closed her eyes.

Nekokaze looked at Kikyo with a rather dumbfounded look, before she leaned back against the tree and fell asleep rather quickly. She had been more exhausted than either of them had realized.

Both of them also didn't realize that Kagome had been awake the whole time. She heard and saw all of what had just happened between Kikyo and Nekokaze.

_Kikyo really does care about Nekokaze... _She thought. Kagome was definitely surprised by it. She had never even imagined Kikyo could show compassion toward any other demon besides Inuyasha. Maybe Nekokaze was just who Kikyo needed to feel better... and maybe Kikyo was just who Nekokaze needed feel stronger.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

As the sun came rising up over the horizon, Kikyo was waiting for Nekokaze to wake up. The priestess stood just barely leaning against the tree with her usual calm, slightly emotionless look, staring into distance at the the pale pinkish-violet dawn sky.

"...Why don't you sleep?" Nekokaze's question surprised Kikyo a little, and she turned to look at the young cheetah demon, who was looking up at the sky like Kikyo had been moments ago.

"I... I am already dead. I've no need to sleep, eat, or drink." She replied in a murmur. Nekokaze stopped asking questions on the subject after that answer, instead she attmepted to stand. And -with a little help from Kikyo- the young demon got to her feet.

"Are you leaving?" Inuyasha asked them in a slightly quiet tone, trying not to wake anyone else up.

"We have no reason to stay." Kikyo stated simply. She wanted to get a moving as soon as possible. Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but by then the others were already starting to wake up. Without looking back at the half-demon, Kikyo took hold of her bow and started walking across the clearing. Nekokaze followed after her at a sluggish, but not too slow, pace; she still looked pretty weak from the events that had happened yesterday yet she was a lot better than she had been. She turned back and looked at the group of six she was leaving.

"Thank you." the young demon girl stated sounding obviously grateful before she returned her gaze to what lied ahead of her and Kikyo.

"Do you think we'll see those two again?" Kagome wondered for anyone of her friend to answer.

"Knowing the things that have happened to us, I'm very positive we will." Miroku replied, looking deep in thought for some strange reason.

"Am I the only one who heard Nekokaze say 'Thank you.'?" Shippo said.

"Nope, I heard it too." Inuyasha stated.

"I wonder why she's so much kinder than other demons." Kagome thought out loud.

"A demon being grateful to a human is definitely something we haven't seen very often." Sango added in to Kagome's comment.

_ I'm pretty glad to have met her... _Kagome thought as she watched Nekokaze and Kikyo becoming smaller as they traveled farther and farther away from her, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

As she walked across the open moor, Kikyo -followed by her soul collectors and Nekokaze- took a small, barely noticeable glance over her shoulder back at Inuyasha, Kagome and their friends; who had become just little dots in the distance.

"Do you care about him; Inuyasha?" Nekokaze wondered, surprising Kikyo. She didn't answer the question, and Nekokaze realized it was a good idea not to bring that subject up again.

_I care about him... But not the way he cares for me... _the priestess thought sadly, returning her gaze to what lied ahead of them. She was already dead; she couldn't be with Inuyasha the way he wanted to be with her.

But she didn't want to tell him that; knowing it would break his heart. The rest of their travels were completely silent between the two of them as they headed off in pursuit of Naraku. He had to have been no more than about a week to nine days away from where they were at the moment.

* * *

><p>"Can we get going today?" Inuyasha asked irritably, fidgeting constantly as he sat on the ground waiting for his companions to be ready to continue traveling.<p>

"We're almost ready to go Inuyasha. Quit being so impatient!" Kagome scolded, packing up her back-pack with all the things they had to take out for making the meals, treating Nekokaze's wounds, and sleeping last night.

"We're ready." She declared, slinging her bag over her shoulder and getting to her feet.

"Finally." Inuyasha muttered, getting up.

"There should be a village about two miles north of here." Miroku stated.

"I can just barely sense a strong source of Jewel Shards in that direction." Kagome put in.

"I guess we're heading north then." Shippo agreed, hopping onto Kagome's shoulder.

_Will we be ready to face Naraku if he's even there...? _Kagome thought as she and her friends began their journey again, walking across the open grassland in the same direction in which Kikyo had left a few hours before them.

_So Kikyo and Nekokaze are going after Naraku as well then... _Inuyasha thought, taking the lead in front of the others. He gripped the handle of his Tetsaiga, even though there was no one else around. _I'll be ready to take that bastard's head off as soon as I see him... _He anticipated. The half-demon seemed to be prepared for anything the world had to throw at him at that moment.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

As Kikyo and Nekokaze traveled north through a forest of pine, faint snowflakes flurried down onto the ground and the breeze carried cold, piercing air. Kikyo, who couldn't feel the cold, was completely unaffected, but Nekokaze on the other hand was a become slower and slower as time went on

_Her will is unmatchable... _Kikyo thought sincerely. Every once in a while she would take a barely noticeable glance back at her traveling companion to make sure she was still following along behind her.

As the two advanced farther on the temperature got colder and the snow came down heavier. At times like these, Nekokaze was definitely grateful for her over-sized fur dress. They would definitely have to stop soon, not just because of the worsening weather, but because only about half a mile away something was blocking the path...

* * *

><p>Inuyasha and the others covered plenty of ground as they headed north in pursuit of Naraku.<p>

"Is it me or is it getting colder?" Shippo asked, shivering the tiniest bit.

"There are rumors that the weather in this region changes rather unexpectedly." Miroku pointed out.

"It's just a little bad weather. No big deal!" Inuyasha remarked, shrugging things off as he usually did.

"Last time you said 'no big deal' I got separated from you guys..." Kagome muttered. Inuyasha gave her one of his little glares before returning his gaze to the path that lay ahead.

Suddenly, Kagome sensed two jewel shards coming toward them at a very fast speed, and with in seconds. none other than Koga stood before their group of six.

"What are you doing here, ya mangy wolf?" Inuyasha demanded grabbing the handle of his Tetseiga but keeping it in its sheath.

"Just checkin' up on my woman, mutt-face." the wolf demon retorted slyly.

"Here we go again..." Sango mumbled. When Koga set his eyes on Kagome, his face turned worried when he saw her arm.

"What happened to you?" He questioned her.

"Well, we were travelling and I got separated from the others when a demon c-" She started.

"Figures! Can't you do anything right?" Koga growled at Inuyasha, interrupted Kagome before she could explain any further.

"Why don't you just get lost? We gotta go kill Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled.

"Naraku's mine!" Koga snapped. After that the two finally broke out into a fight. The others all let out a collective sigh.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Are those two ever going to stop?" Sango muttered to Miroku. The monk shook his head in uncertainty; usually when Inuyasha and Koga got into a fight like this, it would take ages to break them up.

"Inuyasha! Sit boy!" Kagome finally demanded, causing the half-demon to crash into the ground with an all mighty slam.

"Traitor..." He mumbled inaudibly.

"We're heading south, you can get a head start if you want." Shippo lied, calling over from a few feet away on Miroku's shoulder. Koga said his good-byes to Kagome before zooming off in the completely opposite direction the group was heading. Inuyasha sat up and grinned at the young fox demon.

"I didn't know you had it in you to lie." He mocked. Shippo looked like he was about to come up with a remark, but he stopped, thinking of the consequences of the actions.

"Let's just get going before Koga realizes we gave him the wrong direction." Sango cut in, slinging her Hiraikotsu back over her shoulder, which she had set down once the fight broke out.

Suddenly Kagome felt an abrupt surge of pain run through her injured arm, causing her to wince.

"Are you alright?" Shippo asked. Kagome nodded, although she wasn't to sure about it.

"We should check the wound, just to make sure." Miroku stated, coming up to Kagome and carefully unwrapping the long piece of cloth Nekokaze had used at a bandage. Kagome gasped, and shock was etched across Miroku's face. Then, out of nowhere, a horrible throbbing feeling came from her arm; it was so terrible, Kagome let out a blood-curdling scream.

* * *

><p>Kikyo and Nekokaze came to an unexpected stop once they saw what blocked their path ahead. It was a huge web wrapped around two large trees. It had to be at least ten feet high, five inches thick, and twenty feet long. Nekokaze probably couldn't get over it, so forget about Kikyo doing it.<p>

"We'll have to find a way around it..." Nekokaze murmured, thinking about how the thing could have possibly gotten there.

_I can sense Naraku's aura all around this... _Kikyo thought, _He know's I'm coming, and he's trying to distract us from something..._

But then, both of them heard a faint scream in the distant; a little less than half an hour away.

"That sounds like..." Nekokaze trailed off turning her gaze toward Kikyo. As if she could read the cheetah demon's mind, Kikyo nodded before turning around and heading back the way they'd come; away from their road block, and even farther away from Naraku's location; where ever that was.

* * *

><p>"What's happening to her?" Sango demanded. After Kagome had screamed, she collapsed to the ground shaking with her eyes closed.<p>

"There's something... in her arm." Miroku choked out, honestly overwhelmed by what he had seen.

"A demon?" Inuyasha asked, mentally freaking out about Kagome. Miroku nodded slowly.

"We have to do something!" Shippo exclaimed with fear in his tone.

_But what? _Inuyasha thought. Though suddenly, as if on cue, someone came bursting through the undergrowth; it was Nekokaze!

"Kikyo's few minutes behind me... What wrong?" the young demon girl asked worriedly, panting slightly.

"There's a demon in Kagome's arm." Miroku explained. Nekokaze was at Kagome's side in a moment after Miroku had answered her, and soon Kikyo had reached the group as well.

"It's Naraku..." Kikyo murmured surely kneeling down beside Kagome with her hand rested on Kagome's bad arm. Miroku and Sango could no longer keep calm expression; there was obvious fear on their faces after Kikyo had said that.

"Do you think you can purify the demon out of her?" Inuyasha asked.

"No. Kagome's own strength is the only thing that can get her out of this." Kikyo replied solemnly.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter 22**_

The last thing Kagome remembered was being in horrible pain before she fell to the ground and blacked out. Now, when she had awoken, she found herself in a room of pitch-black emptiness,

but the odd thing was there seemed to be a thin layer of light ratiating from herself because she was able to see about an inch in front of her.

"Where am I...?" She murmured quietly to herself, and her voice seemed to echo on forever. She walked around for a little while trying to find anything, but there wasn't. She was all alone,

where ever she was.

* * *

><p>"Isn't there anything we can do?" Sango asked frustratedly, feeling pretty much useless.<p>

"Can't we send one our spirits inside her or something?" Shippo suggested. Kikyo seemed to brighten the tiniest bit at that idea.

"Maybe..." She said in a quiet tone. "I may be able to do just that." the priestess spoke up.

"I'll do it!" Inuyasha jumped in immediately, but Nekokaze stood up, causing all attention to go to her.

"No. It's my fault Kagome's in this mess." the young demon girl stated. "...it's my fault she got that wound."

"There's a chance I won't be able to bring you back." Kikyo warned.

"Even more reason I should do it." Nekokaze countered.

_Inuyasha... He means too much to Kagome and Kikyo... I'm just an __insignificant weakling__..._ She thought sadly.

"Don't you go playin' the big hero all the sudden, kid." Inuyasha scolded, giving Nekokaze a mock-glare that made her momentarily think that the half demon could read her

mind.

"I can do this." She stated with absolute seriousness. Kikyo turned to her traveling companion and, avoiding Inuyasha gaze, she nodded. Inuyasha was taken aback at Kikyo's willing-ness to send

Nekokaze in instead of him. But, dispite his normal thick-headed nature, he knew why. Since that talk they had a while ago, he'd found a small amount of respect for Nekokaze. Even though she was

fully demonic, she was a lot like Inuyasha; in the sense she wanted to be stronger so she could protect the ones she felt she had to.

"This will be a simple spell to transfer your soul into her body. I'll be able to bring you back once you're ready. All you'll have to do is bring Kagome back to the light." Kikyo explained.

"Back to the light?" Sango repeated confusedly.

"As of this moment Kagome is enshrouded in darkness by Naraku's powers. It will take enormous willpower to overcome this; willpower she may not have by herself." the undead priestess

replied. "Ready?" She asked, turning to face Nekokaze. The young girl nodded after taking a deep breath. Kikyo clasped her hands together and began to chant inauble words that seemed to be of

a different language. Suddenly Nekokaze's eyes and outline began to glow a bright lime green, and once the light faded, she collapsed. Inuyasha quickly caught her before she hit the ground,

though.

"It is done." Kikyo said softly, before turning her eyes to Kagome's unconscious body.

_Good luck..._ She wished to both Kagome and Nekokaze.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Me: Sorry about the horribly slow updates, guys! I've had huge writers' blocks on everyone of my stories... -_-''<strong>_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Nekokaze woke up slowly, with a pretty bad headache.

_Ugh, my head... _She thought wearily. Carefully, she managed to sit up and look around where she was. Sadly, the young demon girl couldn't see a thing; where ever she was it was pitch black.

"...Kagome?" Nekokaze called out. There was no answer... at first that is.

"Who's there?" Kagome's voice yelled. She seemed to be pretty close to where Nekokaze was.

"It's Nekokaze!" the cheetah demon replied, getting to her feet as quick as she could. "Where are you?" She shouted.

"I don't know." Kagome said.

"Just keep talking. I'll see if I can follow the sound of your voice." Nekokaze reassured, although she was a bit nervous herself. Being the low self-esteemed girl she was, Nekokaze began to think it was a bad idea to have sent herself in instead of Inuyasha.

"Please hurry. I'm so glad to hear you." Kagome went on. Nekokaze could detect the relief in the young miko's voice and felt a sudden urge to hurry in her search. But suddenly there was a scream, followed by a malicious laugh. With new found adrenaline, Nekokaze rushed forward, and finally light filled the area to reveal a dimly lit cave-like space with reddish-brown rocky walls. Kagome lay on the ground, unmoving but conscious.

"Nekokaze..." She muttered weakliy with fear in her gentle dark brown eyes. Nekokaze took a step forward, only to stop when something grabbed her ankle. She looked down to see a large tentacle wrapping it's way around her leg. That's when a face emerged from one of the walls; it was a that of a man's face, with sickly pale skin and hungry red eyes.

"Naraku." Kagome hissed, pure hatred in her voice. The face, now identified as Naraku, laughed maniacally before fully coming out from the wall. What Nekokaze saw now was a finely-dress demon with long raven-colored hair and strong-looking armor.

_This is Naraku? _Nekokaze thought with pure shock and horror.

"Honestly I was expected that pesky half-demon... I don't think I've ever seen a more pathetic excuse for a demon in my life." He mocked hatefully, grinning slyly. Nekokaze was taken aback by his words.

"Y-You don't belong h-here. Get out." She stated, stumbling over her words. Naraku teleported right in fron of her, nearly scaring her half-to-death.

"Brave words, yet you tremble like a scared animal. You're nothing." He whispered with an evil smile.

"Don't... listen to him." Kagome put in, trying to sit up, only to find that she was too weak. Suddenly a shard of what looked like metal flew from Naraku's armor and towards Kagome. Without even thinking twice, Nekokaze leaped into the path of the projectile... and it went straight into her shoulder.

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><p>Inuyasha watched Nekokaze as she lay unconscious beside Kagome. The others were all waiting in a loose circle around the two of them.<p>

"How long is this gonna take?" the half-demon demanded for anyone to answer. Sadly, no one had an answer and silence sank in around the group. Suddenly, they all caught the strong smell of blood coming from Nekokaze. Sango immediately rushed over to her and gasped when she say the large blood stain on the young cheetah demon's clothes on left shoulder.

"She's been hurt in there..." Kikyo murmured.

"How?" Shippo wondered.

"Any damage she recieves there will effect her in reality." The priestess explained.

"We need to patch-up the wound." Sango stated, starting to tear off the sleeve of of Nekokaze's fur dress.

"There should be a medical kit in Kagome's pack." Miroku put in, and Inuyasha quickly searched through Kagome's yellow backpack.

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><p>"How foolish." Naraku chuckled evilly. Standing over Nekokaze as a she lay on the ground with the armor piece lodged deep in her shoulder. "Risking you're very life for this human... It's dispicable for a demon."<p>

"Hn..." Nekokaze groaned.

"Now, for you..." Naraku continued, walking over toward Kagome. At this point, Nekokaze seriously considered giving up. She was no match for Naraku before, now with this injury it seemed hopeless. But a faint pink glow made Nekokaze remember something very vital she couldn't believe she forgot about it; the jewel shard. She slowly reached for the jewel shard fastened on her necklace.

"Never..." She began to murmur.

"What?" Naraku muttered.

"I will never cower away again!" The cheetah demon roared, rising up to her feet and yanking the piece of of Naraku's armor right out as if it were nothing but a splinter. Naraku, though he didn't show it, was surprised to see the jewel shard which Nekokaze had placed upon her forehead. To Nekokaze's surprise a sly smile came across Naraku face.

"Well now, how would you like to make a deal? Give me that shard and I'll let you live." He bargained.

"And Kagome?" She growled at him. Naraku didn't answer, just stared at her. Nekokaze guessed that meant he would only spare herself. She thought over it for a long moment before she removed the jewel shard from her forehead.

"So you're not as stupid as you look." He grinned, sticking his hand out for Nekokaze to give him the shard. Though instead of giving Naraku the piece of the Sacred Jewel, she flashed over to Kagome side and gave her the jewel, which suprisingly caused all three of them to disappear from the mysterious place.

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><p>Sango and Kikyo both treated Nekokaze's should as quickly as they could, but suddenly the young demon girl's eyes fluttered open, as did Kagome's.<p>

"You're both all right!" Shippo exclaimed joyfully.

"I'm never doing that again..." Nekokaze mumbled tiredly, covering her face with her hands. Everyone smiled at that, even Kikyo had a faint smile.

"Thank you so much, Nekokaze." Kagome murmured gratefully. "I owe you big time."

"What I did was to pay _you_ back." She countered, smiling.

"Huh?" Kagome wondered with a confused look.

"You gave me courage I never thought I had. As did you, Kikyo." The cheetah demon explained, turning her gaze toward the undead priestess.

"Your debt has been fulfilled, Nekokaze. You have no need to travel with me anylonger." Kikyo stated kindly.

"...Kikyo, I... I don't think I could ever stop traveling with you."

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><p><em><strong>The End! :3<strong>_

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you so much everyone for reading this story! Sorry if the ending's a bit crappy, but I tried to make this chapter really long! If you liked this story, check out some of my others. I hope to see you all again soon! owo<strong>


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